Really adventurous early solo work from Ray Manzarek – bursting with creativity and a world of ideas on The Golden Scarab! Lots of oddball instrumentation, particularly in the percussion – with bongo, wood block, congtas, tuned cowbell, whistles, cabassa and quica – plus Ray ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great idea for a late 60s rock record – even if the record itself is even better than its idea! The whole concept of the "masked marauders" was that the group was supposedly formed by big rockers of the time – unable to be listed on the cover, because of contractual ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from the David Axelrod years at Capitol Records – a set that also features some nicely snapping arrangements from HB Barnum! Given that the Axelrod/Barnum team was the force behind Lou Rawls best work of the time, the sound here is pretty darn similar – simple pop, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

A really nice set from Ian Matthews – who cut his teeth a few years earlier with Fairport Convention – and gets a little help here from fellow Fairporters Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson. Ian's warmth in the vocal department really glows here – and the sound overall brings in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

(White label swirl pressing. Cover has a cutout hole and a light crease on one corner.)

One of the 2 terrific records ex-Fairport Convention singer-songwriter Ian Matthews cut for the Vertigo label in the early 70s – built around Matthews wonderful vocals and acoustic guitars, but with a tighter rhythmic backdrop the the typical post folk trope! The key here is warmth – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

(Swirl pressing in the textured cover. Cover has a partailly split top seam, and some light staining on the back.)

A surprisingly groovy outing from the Chicago scene of the 60s – a garagey group, but one with some soulful touches too! The set was partially recorded at Chess studios, and Eddie Higgins handled some of the arrangements – and the record features versions of "Knock On Wood", ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

A real shift in sound for John Mayall – as the album lives up to its title, and mostly features solo work from the artist! Through the magic of overdubbing, Mayall's singing here along with his own work on organ, harmonica, and guitar – and apart from some brief additional drum work ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy work from John Mayall – a double-length set from the early 70s, featuring some great help from American soul jazz musicians! The group here is small, and the lineup features Red Holloway on saxes, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Freddy Robinson on guitar, and Sugarcane Harris on violin ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

Possibly one of the best-remembered albums by John Mayall's legendary Blues Breakers combo – thanks to vocals and guitar from a young Eric Clapton! Clapton at this point is way fresher than in later years – not prone to cliches, and still coming across with a raw, edgey power that is ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

(Blue label US stereo pressing. Cover has some wear, some stains, a small split on the bottom seam, and wide clear tape on the spine.)

There's some pretty sweet electronics here – as you'll hear on "Waterfalls", "Temporary Secretary", and other tracks. Like most of the Wings albums, a record with some surprising treasures if you know where to dig! LP, Vinyl record album

This is the kind of funky rock record we can get behind! Although Melting Pot are ostensibly one of the many drum-heavy rock groups of their generation, the band manages to kick it very well with a strong commitment to funk – a commitment that outweighs their rock-based lyrics much more than ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

Number five, and the Steve Miller Band is still going strong – working here with some great help from Area Code 615, who bring a slightly rootsy vibe to the set! That core Miller brilliance is still very firmly in place – and Steve's got an even sharper ear for writing songs this time ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

The self-titled groovy rock masterpiece from Moby Grape – one of the greatest things to come out of San Francisco after Ghiradelli Chocolate and sourdough bread! The Moby Grape LP is one of the finest, and leanest LPs we can think of from the '67 school of Bay Area psychedelic rock – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

(360 Sound stereo pressing, in the cover with the guy flipping the bird! Cover has a small peeled spot near the spine, and some wear.)

One of the best ever efforts from the Monkees – really the first album where Mickey, Peter, Davy and Mike took creative control from the TV people – and created and album of groovy late 60s pop to rival those of their influences! Headquarters famously features a lot more original ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

(Stereo pressing. Vinyl has a short click on one track. Cover has some light wear.)

A late 70s freewheeling synth extravanza from Don Muro – one the covers a lot stylistic territory on its 2 sides – from fusiony instrumentals, to cosmic keyboard dance music, to anthemic spacey rock – and it does all incredibly well! Muro plays an array of synthesizer systems and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

(Vinyl has a small press flaw that clicks a bit on "Current Events". Cover has light wear and a sticker spot.)

A repackaged version of the first Capitol album by Fred Neil – issued here under the title of the one tune on the album that became a hit, but not under Fred's version! (The hit was sung in the film Midnight Cowboy by Nilsson.) The album is really one of the best places to start with Fred's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

A classic set from these groovy guys – with tracks that include "Warm Baby", "Elf Song", "I'm Here Now", "Woman"," I'm Just Waitin", "You're Gonna Be Mine", and "Love You So Much". LP, Vinyl record album

A mix of rootsy rock and more sophisticated modes – played by a 70s group that features Dave Brubeck's son on a variety of different instruments! The group may well be best known for their work with the older Brubeck on other records – but they stand nicely on their own here too, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

Arguably the most perfect record ever from New Order – a stunning second full length set that has the group emerging from the turgid depths of the early post-Ian Curtis years, and before the schmaltzy pop of the John Hughes generation! The electronics are wonderful – definitely a few ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

The rare final album by Harry Nilsson – cut for Mercury after his long streak of brilliant, idiosyncratic records for RCA – but it was only released in the UK and Japan at the time! It's a charming, laidback effort on Nilsson's part – as stylistically varied as you'd expect from ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

More of the Nitty Gritty's nutty country rock pop groovy stuff from the late 60's. Shouldn't work, but it does, and in a nice way. Titles include "Happy Fat Annie", "Truly Right", "Search The Sky", and "Shadow Dream Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Laura Nyro's second album in her legendary early run for Columbia Records – and an effort that's a bit more dramatic than the first! Laura's handling all arrangements herself this time, and they're conducted by Jimmy Haskell – but the overall sound is almost as spare as if Nyro were ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album

A very surprising second album from OMD – in that it not only showed them well suited to tight and catchy pop tunes, but also had them experimenting a bit more with electronic soundscapes, in a way that offset the pop tracks nicely! The album kicks off with the incredibly catchy "Enola ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album